Travolta Lobbies for Scientology

Thursday, September 18, 1997; 6:21 a.m. EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) -- After three years in Congress, Bob Ney has figured out how to turn heads -- walk the halls with John Travolta.

"We could sell tickets to this office today," quipped Ney, Travolta's escort Wednesday as the actor talked with lawmakers about restrictions encountered abroad by his fellow members of the Church of Scientology.

The Ohio congressman said he became interested in scientology while preparing for a trip to Germany. A briefing from musician Chick Corea, singer Isaac Hayes and actress Anne Archer convinced him to raise the issue during meetings with German officials.

Scientology was founded 41 years ago by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. It views the individual, rather than a supreme god, as the spiritual being and believes that man's spiritual problems stem from an intergalactic holocaust 75 million years ago.

Germany considers the Los Angeles-based church a business that must be regulated, and allows its intelligence agency to monitor members. Several German states and organizations have banned scientologists from participating in political parties.